lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein) (04/21/84)
Greetings. I'm looking for several toys from the 60's. I'm afraid
that the odds of my finding them are rather grim, but it seemed
worth a try:
1) "Mr. Machine" -- this was a strange mechanical gadget (about one
foot tall) which could be wound up and would roll around in an
unusual fashion. It was particularly notable in that it could
be completely disassembled (it was full of plastic gears and
mechanisms) and reassembled by the user in just a few minutes.
2) "Hydro-Dynamic Building Set" (Remco? Eldon?) This nifty toy
consisted of a base and plastic girders which could be snapped
together to form a superstructure of the user's own design.
A variety of plastic pipes, siphons, balance arms, valves, and
other liquid-flow devices could then be placed within the
superstructure as desired. One or two pumps would then pump
colored water through the entire system. The concept was to
simulate refineries/cracking plants. A simpler version of this
sort of toy was put out by the same company -- it included the
same sort of superstructure and let the user install exterior
walls, doors, and windows to form a "skyscraper" of their
own design.
3) "Robot Commando" -- this "robot" device was about two feet tall.
It could be commanded to move in various directions, throw little
plastic balls from its arms, or fire a rubber-tipped missile from
inside its head. The control device was a mechanical remote control
box at the end of a flexible cable. A pseudo-"voice control" feature
allowed the user to start the robot's functioning by speaking
loudly at the control unit -- a metal plate would respond to the
user's breath and activate the main circuitry.
If anyone out there has any of these toys hidden away in their basement,
attic, or anywhere else, please get in touch with me. Thanks much.
--Lauren--
{decvax, allegra, ihnp4, harpo, seismo, randvax}!vortex!lauren